Rescue
by HidingbehindtheShadow
Summary: Set at the end of the episode in season nine called "The Scourge." The team runs into some trouble, there's an attack, and Jack has to make an appearance. Sorry I'm no good at summaries. This is Sam/Jack and my first fanfic so please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

A/N This starts off in the ninth season of SG-1 at the end of the episode The Scourge. My end of the scourge is a bit different and the story completely branches off on its own from there. This is a mainly Carter/O'neill story. I own nothing, I only wish I did. But seriously, I own nothing and mean no harm and this is done for purely entertainment purposes. This is my first attempt at a fanfiction so please read and review and please be honest (within common decency). I'm not sure if I want to keep going, I have ideas for the story line but am unsure if it would be any good. What do you think?

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All they had to do was hold the bugs off until the _Odyssey _entered orbit and picked up the signal Sam had set up to tell the ship they were still alive. Then they would have been good to go, but they should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

Teal'c's head turned in the direction of the chirping that indicates the movement of the bugs, "They approach!"

An explosion went off behind them and they all ducked slightly. Cam looked to Sam before they started shooting for their lives and he said, "At least we know those work." Then it was nothing but machine gun fire for several seconds before the chirping began to fade again. "Well, that scared them some," said Cam looking around.

"There!" shouted Daniel, turning to face the direction the chirping was now coming from. They all turned on the spot to face the bugs with him as another explosion went off in that direction. Daniel and Teal'c started shooting, unaware of what was happening behind them. While their backs were turned and everyone was focused on the bugs in front of them, no one noticed the group of bugs coming up from behind them. The ones that managed to avoid any explosions by going through the gap created in the circle of sensors by the first explosion.

Over the sound of the machine gun fire and the explosions now going off everywhere no one noticed the chirping coming from behind Sam until the bugs were at her feet. Sam looked down, shrieked, and jumped. Immediately, she began shooting down at the bugs now surrounding her. The others, now realizing what was going on, did their best to shoot some of the bugs away as well, but there wasn't much they could do given the fact that they were so near Sam. After a few seconds some of the bugs began to crawl up Sam's legs and bite at her. It only took a few seconds more for Sam to be on the ground almost covered in bugs, screaming, and bleeding.

The others were panicked. There was nothing they could do. Teal'c and Cam began attempting to smack bugs off of her with the ends of their guns, but that was not much help. Explosions were going off everywhere and the chirping was getting louder and louder. The bugs were everywhere. All of the members of SG-1 that were still fighting were down to their handguns and everything seemed lost. Teal'c was still desperately trying to get bugs off of Sam when a sudden bright light appeared around all of them as they were transported to the _Odyssey_. Sam, Cam, Teal'c, and Daniel found themselves on the ship with the delegates they were protecting and probably every nurse and doctor on the ship, along with some armed guards keeping an eye out for bugs, none of the bugs came up in transport with them because of some trick an Asgard had done to the transporter technology during installation making it so that it only allowed humanoid transport.

The doctors began to swarm around Sam, who was still lying on her side covering her face with her hands, she appeared to unconscious but alive. She did, however, look like a bloody, torn-up mess and that did not encourage the other members of SG-1. A few doctors went over to the delegates who, despite a few scrapes and in one case a broken ankle, were in relatively good shape considering what they had just been through. A few more doctors and nurses began to check on Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam, but there was no need. All of them were fine and all they cared about was making sure Sam was would be fine too.

"Will Colonel Carter survive?" asked Teal'c. He had said what the other two members of SG-1 had been thinking and they all turned expectantly to face the doctors examining Sam.

The lead Doctor looked up at the three men awaiting her answer and said, "I believe so, we will need to get her into the infirmary now and then we will have to run more tests when we are back on Earth. I fear there might be side effects from the bug bites." At her words some men put Sam on a stretcher and began to wheel her out of the room. That was when Mr. Woolsey thought it would be a good idea to comment.

"Side effects? What kind of side effects? Well at least we will get something out of this disaster of a mission. Keep her in quarantine I want her loaded up and sent to Area 51 for study as soon as we get back." Simultaneously, the three members of SG-1 began to move forward and protest at the same time. Woolsey side stepped and hid behind a guard that was standing next to him. He didn't even let any of the men finish talking before he interrupted, "Gentlemen, I have the full support of the President. There is no use arguing, what I say goes and that is final!"

Daniel and Teal'c had enough experience with Woolsey to know that there was nothing they could do at the moment, so they nodded grudgingly and pulled Cam - still protesting - away from the scene and down the corridor. "What? You're not just going to let him do that to her?" Cam almost yelled after they were a few yards down the corridor.

"Of course not, Colonel Mitchel," Teal'c said in hushed tones.

"There is just nothing we can do at the moment," Daniel filled in.

"Then what are we going to do?"

"Well for starters, as soon as we get back I'm going to have to make a phone call," said Daniel mischievously before he turned the corner and disappeared into the locker room. Teal'c followed him in.

Cam stood in the hall dumbfounded for a few seconds before following and calling out, "Who are you gonna call?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thank you so much for the reviews! This is for you. Hope you guys like it! I think I will try to keep this up. If I can I will try for a chapter or two a week, but my life is sort of crazy right now so I'll do my best. Thanks again for the reviews! They mean so much!

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The trip back to Earth was going to take about two hours, so after getting cleaned up in the locker room Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam decided to check on Sam in the infirmary. However, as soon as the three reached the door to the infirmary their path was blocked by four large guards. "Hey, we just want to go in and see her," Daniel pleaded.

"Mr. Woolsey has forbidden it," said one of the men.

"Oh I bet he has. Teal'c, Jackson, let's go have a word with Woolsey," Cam said and the three men turned around and went in search of Woolsey.

They found him, of course, sitting in the cafeteria, eating lunch, without a care in the world for what he was doing to Sam. As he saw them approach he smiled that creepy little weasel smile of his and said, "I see we are going to make another scene."

"Why can't we see Sam?" Cam demanded.

"Because I have declared her in quarantine. If there are any side effects from those bug bites I want them studied and if you go in it might contaminate those effects. After you screwed up on the simplest mission you have ever gotten I now have to convince the other delegates that the SGC isn't just a dangerous waste of money. This is your mess and now you have to deal with the consequences."

"Our mess? How is this our mess?" Daniel questioned.

"It was your job to make the tour run smoothly and to keep the delegates and myself safe from harm. You failed in both aspects, thus resulting in Colonel Carter's current condition."

"I can't believe this!" yelled Cam.

"Also, gentlemen, you are not allowed to contact anyone on Earth or stage any rescues. This guard," Woolsey paused to motion to a previously unnoticed guard in the corner, "will follow you and keep an eye on you. Now, we have about an hour before we reach Earth, I suggest you have something to eat, you have a long afternoon of debriefing ahead of you when we get home." With that, Woolsey stood up and swept out of the room leaving Daniel, Cam, Teal'c, and the guard all awkwardly standing in silence for several minutes.

Eventually, Cam practically collapsed into a chair out of exhaustion, shock, and sheer disbelief. Daniel and Teal'c soon followed suit and they all sat in silence for several more minutes before Cam finally broke the silence. The others had told him who they were planning on calling for help while they were in the locker room, but now he didn't know what they were going to do. "Will you still be able to find a way to contact him?"

"I believe so," Daniel paused and looked over at the guard—who appeared very bored and uninterested in their conversation—before continuing "I'm sure by the time we get to the SGC Woolsey will have all of the phone calls monitored, but if you guys could just distract him," he gestured to the guard, "for a few minutes after we get there I think I will be able to do it. It will be a short call, really, all I will have to do is mention her name…" he trailed off lost in thought.

This seemed to happen a lot when someone started talking about the connection between those two. It had bothered Cam before because it was like it was a big secret that everyone knew but him, today it really seemed to get under his skin. "Why? What do you mean? You guys are always doing that, what am I missing?"

Teal'c and Daniel looked up at Cam shocked. It had never occurred to them that he wouldn't understand. Teal'c was the first to recover from the surprise, "Colonel Mitchel, have you ever seen those two in a room together for any amount of time?"

Cam had to think about it for a moment, "No, actually, I don't think I have ever seen them in a room together, at least while I was conscious anyway, why?"

Both Daniel and Teal'c smiled slightly, "Just watch when he gets here, Colonel Mitchel, just watch and you will understand."

Daniel gave a soft chuckle of agreement in the background before changing the subject slightly. "Is it just me or has Woolsey been even more of a weasely jerk lately?"

"Indeed."

"Yeah, I wonder why that is?"

"No idea, just thought I'd mention it."

(Person on ship PA system) "ETA for Earth is now twenty minutes"

"That was fast, weren't we supposed to have an hour?"

"Indeed. We must have been sitting here longer than we realized."

"Anyway, we had better get going. You guys figure out how you're gonna distract him yet?" while finishing his sentence Daniel tilted his head toward the guard.

"I had a thought," Cam paused and looked at the other two men and, with their encouragement, he continued," I was thinking we could all take a trip to the bathroom once we get transported down, we could go to the community one with two entrances, and Teal'c and I can hang out for a few minutes and Jackson can slip out the back door. Then, when Teal'c and I walk out to meet the guard, if you're not back yet and he asks where you are, well I'm sure you can imagine."

Daniel chuckled, "Simple yet elegant. I doubt he will follow us in there" Leaning over he looked out the window behind Teal'c's head, "I can see Earth, I think it's time for a little bathroom break." He stood up.

Cam and Teal'c followed him as he walked out of the room. A few feet behind them, the guard walked out as well.

A few minutes later they were all transported down to the SGC and approaching the bathroom as discussed. Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam walked into the restroom and, when the guard didn't follow them in and posted himself at the door instead, they all nodded at each other before locking the door behind them. Quickly, Daniel made his way across the community bathroom and exited out the other door as fast as possible. Quietly, he peered around the corner to check that the guard was still at the other door before he snuck down the hall. Because he knew the SGC like the back of his hand, Daniel knew that the closest phone was at the end of the hall on the second left. After a short walk Daniel managed to reach the phone without drawing any attention to himself. So far so good.

Now, all Daniel could do was hope that his call would make it through. He dialed the number and the phone rang only once. _"Hello, how may I direct your call?"_ a woman's voice asked.

"General Jack O'Neill, please, it's urgent," Daniel replied quickly.

"_Hold just a second," _the voice said as she transferred the call. There was a click and then the phone rang two more times.

"_Helllooo, Jack O'Neill speaking," _

"Jack!"

"_Daniel, you're back! How was babysitting? I heard you guys hit a snag and blew up the base or something, nice."_

"Jack this is serious. We have a problem."

"_What is it?" _The playful tone had gone out of his voice.

"It's Sam." There was a long pause full of the tension and emotion both men were feeling.

"_Carter? Is she..." _Jack trailed off and cleared his throat, "_what can I do?"_

"She is alive don't worry. Just get here now! We-" and the phone line went dead. Daniel wasn't sure if Jack had hung up the phone or if Woolsey had finally realized that Daniel was breaking the no contact rule, but one thing was certain: Jack had gotten the message and now it was only a matter of time before he showed up knocking some heads.

Carefully, Daniel snuck back down the hall toward the bathroom. The conversation had been quick and if he hurried he just might make it back to the bathroom before the others pretend to be done. As he snuck into the back door he saw that Cam and Teal'c were just about to walk out of the other door, "Hey!" he called out softly.

Cam and Teal'c turned around in surprise. "How did it go, Daniel Jackson?"

"Fine, I told him to get here and then the phone cut off, but I know he got the message."

"That is good. We should be going now," Teal'c almost whispered as he unlocked the door and held it open for the other two men to walk out. The guard was still awkwardly standing in front of the door and Cam had to ask him to move so that they could all exit the bathroom. Now, all they had to do was wait.

About an hour later all of the men ended up sitting outside Sam's room in chairs. Dr. Lam had argued about Sam's quarantine with Woolsey for over thirty minutes. Eventually, Woolsey had taken away the quarantine, but restricted access to Sam. Of course, Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam were still not allowed in the room, but on the grounds of keeping Sam alive, Dr. Lam was able to put Sam in her own isolated room with a few nurses and doctors that were allowed to go in and treat her. When the men found out about this they had immediately set up camp outside of Sam's room, literally bringing their own chairs from the cafeteria. Woolsey had not liked this. But when he tried to protest one look from Teal'c appeared to shut him down.

About two hours after that the men began to hear a commotion coming down the hall. They couldn't tell who, but several people were shouting and the voices appeared to be getting closer. Soon the voices became distinct and the first voice they recognized was Woolsey's and he was currently shouting, "I don't care! You can't go in!"

Then, another recognizable voice, the voice of General Jack O'Neill, shouted back, "Just try and stop me!" After that Daniel, Cam, and Teal'c could see them down the hall. It was a small group consisting of Jack, Woolsey, two guards, and Dr. Lam. The guards appeared to be unsure of what to do and Dr. Lam looked like she had been running to catch up with the group. A second later the group was standing in front of the door and Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam stood up to greet them. "Hey guys! Fancy seeing you here!" called Jack.

"Jack," Daniel nodded and smiled.

"General O'Neill."

"General."

"Okay, let's go see Carter shall we?" said Jack opening the door without waiting for Woolsey to protest. He stormed into the room and crossed over to Sam's bed before anyone could stop him. Carefully he bent down and gently shook Sam's shoulder saying, "Carter? You awake?"

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, "Sir? What are you doing here?" she asked in a raspy voice. She had bite marks one every inch of skin that the men could see and most of her arms appeared to be wrapped in gauze the same way Daniel's had been when he was dying of radiation.

Jack smiled slightly, clearly relieved to see her alive and talking, before straightening up and glaring at Woolsey as he replied, "Just taking care of something. Don't worry, go back to sleep." Then, he looked down as she nodded and closed her eyes again. After that he pointed at Woolsey and said, "You, Landry's office, now!" Woolsey bit back a response and left the room. The others, including the members of SG-1, followed suit. But Jack stayed behind for just a second to carefully look down at Sam again, take her had for the briefest of seconds, and then drop it and walk out of the room. He though no one had seen him do it, but of course Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam had stopped outside the door and turned to talk to him. When they realized he wasn't there they looked back into the room just in time to see him drop her hand. They all pretended to not have seen anything when he walked out of the room.

On the walk to General Landry's office Daniel turned to Jack, "What are you going to do? Do you know what is going on now?"

"Yes Daniel, when I stepped off the elevator Walter told me everything before Woolsey turned up. I don't think he is going to back down on this one. He seems pretty determined to keep Carter."

"So what can we do?" Daniel asked again.

Jack just looked at him sadly for a second before saying, "The only thing we can do Daniel, the only thing."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long but, like I said, my life did a bit of spinning for a while there. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I have to warn you, things start getting a bit worse. Hope you like it! As always please read and review!

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Walking into General Landry's office was like walking into a war zone. There was so much tension and anger in the room the air was practically buzzing. After Cam, Teal'c, Daniel, and Jack entered; the only other people in the room were Woolsey, Dr. Lam, and General Landry. Immediately, Woolsey began to argue, "There is nothing you can do! You don't even know the situation. Actually, how did you even know to come here? I had all communications from the base shut down as soon as I reached the planet." Looking outright betrayed, Woolsey glared over at the members of SG-1 standing in the doorway.

"Hey now, don't be mad at them, they did what they had too. You're the one that put them in this situation! What on Earth are you thinking? How can you even think up such a crazy idea? After all this team, no wait, after all Carter has done for you over the past nine years this is how you repay her? Why? I can't believe the president is on board with this!"

At this Woolsey shrank back a bit and looked shaken. Daniel wondered why, but didn't get much time to think about it because Woolsey started talking again, "They!" he pointed at SG-1 "screwed up the mission. This is their fault. I know the team has done a lot for us in the past. This is what we need her to do now. If we want to keep our jobs this is what she has to do. She's military, I'm sure she'll understand."

Jack seemed to pick up on something in Woolsey's response because he suddenly looked wild with either anger or excitement; it was difficult to tell which. "So one mistake means a life of enslavement as the new lab rat at Area 51? Assuming she has ANY side effects from those bites, I mean it's a miracle she survived right?"

"Actually, I was wondering about that too. The others we saw getting eaten by the bugs were gone in seconds of being covered and Sam probably lasted for a few minutes," Cam inputted.

"I was just going to mention that. Believe it or not I think the Naquada left over in her blood from Jolinar made her harder to eat. The bugs may have literally not been able to eat her too quickly because of the extra element in her blood," Dr. Lam stopped and looked around to see the effect her theory had taken on all of the men.

The members of SG-1 and Jack were all shaking their heads almost comically. Jack even muttered under his breath, "It's always the Naquada."

However, Mr. Woolsey seemed to find this even more interesting, "You see! Even further proof that she should be studied."

Jack almost looked smug, as if he knew something the others did not, "So you need proof now? I thought you were backed by the president?"

Woolsey looked embarrassed and furious at the same time, "How dare you question me!"

"Actually, Mr. Woolsey, I think it is a fair question," General Landry piped in, "because I was on the phone with the President not long after you got back and informed me of the situation. You see you may have shut off all of the other phones, but the line to the President only goes down when I say it does, and he seemed rather displeased with you. He said something about you being an annoying ladder-climber and told me he had been thinking of giving you another post just to get you out of his hair. Apparently this mission was your last chance to prove yourself useful" Landry trailed off and gave Jack a small smile.

Woolsey was speechless for several minutes. Eventually he managed to splutter out in a small voice, "That is beside the point."

"I don't see how. As far as I am concerned you have no right to keep Carter locked up or to ship her out to Area 51." Jack was absolutely radiating with success at this point.

"That doesn't matter. You have to listen to me look at what those bugs did. Look at what they accomplished. We have to study them, we have to find out more about this and why Colonel Carter survived. Don't you see? This is going to be important some day," Woolsey was practically begging for them to listen to him, but no one wanted to hear it.

"I think it's time you get off my base," General Landry's voice had an edge of hatred to it as he motioned toward the door.

Woolsey looked around the room trying to get someone on his side. After a minute he nodded and walked to the doorframe before turning around one last time and saying, "This isn't over yet, I still have friends. Don't forget that." Then he walked out the door without looking back.

Jack turned back to face the room after watching Woolsey walk out, "Well at least that's over with."

"I'm not so sure it is, Sir," Dr. Lam looked nervous as she continued, "the latest test results from Colonel Carter suggest there is some sort of toxin or infection in her blood. I can't identify it. I don't know what it's doing to her, but when you woke her up a few minutes ago was the first time she has been awake since SG-1 was retrieved from that planet. Until I saw her open her eyes I honestly believed she was in some sort of coma. I don't know why she woke up for you, but I do not think she will again for some time. There must have been an extreme subconscious desire to see you in order for her to even open her eyes for you let alone nod and speak! I am very worried, Sirs," she concluded, looking back and forth between both Generals.

Jack was white as a sheet and nobody dared to move let alone speak. Eventually, Jack managed a feeble attempt at humor to get the conversation moving again, "Well, you know Carter, always trying to follow orders."

Daniel could tell this was killing Jack. Not only was Carter possibly dying, but their relationship was being almost openly talked about. It had to have been too much for him. Cam however finally understood why everyone was always so reluctant to talk about these two and what everyone was always hinting at. It suddenly made so much sense to him that he felt like smiling for a second, then he remembered what was going on and any urge to smile was wiped from his mind.

Daniel knew he needed to get everyone out of General Landry's office. Carefully, he patted Jack on the back a few times, "Alright, so what's the next step Doctor?"

"I have to run more tests. Maybe do some blood transfusions. I'm not sure at the moment; I think we are going to see what happens and go from there."

Daniel nodded, they would have to make it up as they go along, he was suddenly reminded of the conversation he had just had with Jack in the hallway a few minutes before.

"_So what can we do?" Daniel asked again._

_Jack just looked at him sadly for a second before saying, "The only thing we can do Daniel, the only thing."_

"_Which is?"_

"_Make it up as we go along of course. Isn't that what we always do?" Jack tried to smile but Daniel could tell he was in pain. He had practically just admitted that there was nothing he could do to help her, he had no ideas, and he was about to walk into a room and argue for something he had no way of arguing for. All Daniel could do was hope Woolsey would crumble before Jack did._

Daniel snapped himself back into reality. "I see, well why don't we all get going then, I'm sure we are all very busy."

"Yes, yes, I was just thinking I should probably call the President again and talk to him about Woolsey and what is going on. Don't worry; I'm sure he will be on our side. He likes SG-1," General Landry sat down and picked up his red phone as the others walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.

Dr. Lam, Cam, Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack all shuffled down the hall slowly and in silence for several minutes. "Doc?" Jack muttered feebly. She looked over at him and he continued, "Do you mind if I hang around the infirmary for a while? You know, to keep and eye on Carter."

"Not at all, Sir. I was just thinking, now that she is no longer in quarantine, that I should move her to an observation room so that we can watch her from the glass windows above. You can stay up there or in the room with her, whichever you want. Besides, I think it will be good having you around, maybe she'll wake up again."

"Thanks Doc."

An hour later Sam was settled in her new room and Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam had finally gone off to bed. No one had even bothered trying to get Jack to leave with them. He was set up in a chair at the end of Sam's bed and every now and then he would jump a little as if he had fallen asleep for a brief second and then suddenly woken up.

However, later that night when Dr. Lam walked in to check on Sam he was finally sound asleep with his feet up on the end of the bed. He jerked awake when the door closed behind the Doctor, stretched, stood up, and smiled at Dr. Lam. "Just here to check her vitals, the tests haven't come back yet. Any changes?"

"No, she hasn't woken up yet. Should I try to wake her up?"

Dr. Lam checked all of Sam's vitals and then looked at Sam for a few seconds before turning to Jack, "I think it couldn't hurt at this point."

Jack, looking apprehensive, nodded and walked over to the opposite side of the bed than the Dr. Lam was standing and he reached down and gently grabbed Sam's shoulder and gave it a small shake. "Carter? Carter? Can you hear me? Open your eyes Carter," he almost whispered.

After several seconds of painful waiting Sam's eyelids began to twitch. Then, her eyelids fluttered open revealing clear blue eyes and Jack sighed with relief. Dr. Lam was busy checking vital signs and making sure everything was fine. It took a second for Sam's eyes to focus on one thing, but when they did they focused on Jack. When this happened Jack was expecting some sort of joke or question (or maybe even some techno babble) to come out of her mouth. But, what happened next no one expected.

Sam screamed like a little girl, attempted to jump out of bed, got caught in the sheets on the bed and the wires connecting her to the monitors, and ended up half hanging out of the bed. When she attempted to right herself and found she couldn't she began to scream again, only this time it was, "Daddy! Daddy help!" over and over again.

Jack and Dr. Lam didn't know what to do. They exchanged a shocked look for a second before Jack tried to yell over Sam's screaming, "Carter! Carter! Please what's wrong!" It was no use. Sam was irrational, scared, and screaming like a little kid. Actually, Jack realized, she was acting exactly like a little girl would if she woke up in pain and trapped in a strange place with people she didn't know. Then, the realization hit him and he looked up at Dr. Lam who appeared to have come to the same conclusion, "Oh No!"

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A/N In case you guys were wondering the conversation in all italics in the middle there is Daniel remembering the rest of the conversation he had with Jack at the end of Chapter 2. I just wanted to be clear so that no one got confused. Thanks! Hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N So after getting some reviews from the last chapter I felt I needed to turn out another chapter as fast as I could. It is not as if the reviews were bad, they were very nice, but it sounded like the end of my last chapter may have led some people to the wrong conclusion. Personally, misleading people is one of the things I actually hate; I try to be a very clear person, so here is the next part. I hope I didn't lose anybody! Hope you like it and as always please read and review!

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It was several minutes before Sam calmed down enough for Dr. Lam and Jack to get her untangled and back in her bed. By that time Cam, Daniel, Teal'c, and several nurses and guards had appeared, probably alarmed by all of the screaming. When Sam was finally sitting upright and wire free in her bed she looked around frantically for a few seconds before fainting.

"What just happened!" Daniel demanded.

"We woke her up, thought it couldn't hurt, clearly we were wrong." Jack said shakily.

"Okay, but she was acting like a little kid, like she didn't know us!"

"I know. Doc? Suggestions?"

"I think I know what's going on, but we need to take an MRI before I can be sure," Dr. Lam paused and gave Sam a shot, probably to keep her asleep, "if you will all just wait here this will only take an hour, then I might have some answers for you." The men nodded at her and Dr. Lam had two of the nurses roll Sam's bed out of the room and down the hall behind her.

About an hour later all of the men were sitting around waiting when the door opened and Dr. Lam walked in followed by Sam in her bed being pushed by two different nurses who, after placing Sam back in the correct position in the room, turned and left them all alone together. Dr. Lam was carrying her computer and as soon as the nurses left she began talking fast, "Okay I know what is going on, or at least why Colonel Carter reacted that way, it appears the toxin I said was in her blood has made it to her brain," she took a breath and opened her computer screen to show two MRI's of what all of the men assumed to be Sam's head. The scans were dated, the one on the left that looked normal was from a week previous and the one on the right that had some bright spots clustered in a certain part of the brain, was from today. "That part of the brain that looks almost like it is glowing is the part of the brain the deals with memory," Dr. Lam explained, "I believe that when Colonel Carter woke up the only memories she had were the ones up until seven or eight years old."

The men stared at her with shocked expressions. "Are you saying Colonel Carter now believes she is eight years old?" Teal'c looked as horrified as Teal'c can look.

"No I'm saying at that moment Colonel Carter thought she was eight, but this glowing patch in her brain is in constant flux. I took two scans and the patch had changed considerably in the few minutes it took for me to reset the machine." Dr. Lam replaced the image of Sam's healthy head on the left with a second image taken today. "You see how the parts of the brain that were glowing in the first picture are no longer glowing in this one? See how those parts don't look damaged or changed in any way?" The men all nodded, but Dr. Lam could tell they didn't have a clue what this meant. She tried again, "I think this means that the glowing parts repress whatever memories are stored there and when that part of the brain stops glowing it makes the memories resurface undamaged. Do you see now?"

"So you're saying Sam might remember us next time she wakes up or she might think she's in high school again?" Daniel asked pretty sure he knew what the doctor was trying to say.

"Yes! Exactly! I don't think this is permanent either. All I have to do is find a way to get the toxin out of Colonel Carter's body and I think the symptoms will stop. Until then, however, I don't think her being unconscious for long periods of time is very good for her in this condition. Also, I want a sort of list of each time she wakes up and about what age she thinks she is. I have a feeling she won't be able to stay awake for very long each time, but if the Colonel Carter you know wakes up, the one with all of the memories up until today, I need you to try and keep her awake as long as possible and call me fast."

"So you want us to wake up Sam over and over again, ask her some questions, hope she doesn't freak out on us, and write down how old she says she is?" Cam asked.

"Yes, you can record it on here," Dr. Lam paused again to open up a chart on her computer, "as you can see I already recorded the date, time, age and reaction on here from the first time. If you guys will just follow my model I think it will be pretty easy. Now if you'll excuse me the blood tests are almost back and I am going to try and find a way to fight this toxin."

Teal'c reached out and took the computer from her. Jack was still staring at her dumbly as she nodded at them and walked out the door. A few minutes after she left he finally just shrugged, threw his hands up in the air and walked over to Sam's bedside. "You ready to type T?" he asked.

Teal'c sat down in a chair and positioned himself so that he could work the computer, "Ready when you are O'Neill."

"Okay then, here we go." He looked down at Sam and gently shook her shoulder once again. With apprehension in his voice he called out, "Carter, Carter can you hear me?"It took less time for her to respond. Only a few seconds later her eyes opened and immediately scanned the room taking in her surroundings. She didn't say anything. "Carter, you alright?" Jack asked worriedly.

"We have gone over this O'Neill, I am not Samantha Carter. I am Jolinar of the Tok'ra."

Jack quickly exchanged looks with Daniel before looking down at Sam, "Right, of course you are, just checking," he paused and looked up at Teal'c who was typing away. "So," he said looking down again, "what's new with you?" But it was too late; Sam had already passed out again.

"Well that was different," said Daniel.

"No kidding and I thought my cousin had memory problems," said Cam.

Jack just stood looking down at Sam for a few more seconds before taking a deep breath and looking up, "T, you got everything?"

"Indeed."

"Okay then, let's do it again."

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A/N Okay so this chapter ended up a bit shorter but like I said I just really wanted to clear that up. Also, sorry if my MRI/techno/brain stuff is wrong or bad. I was never any good at biology. Anyway, thanks for reading, hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Okay, here is the next chapter. This one is a bit longer, hope you like it. A few more problems appear and things start getting bad. Please read and review! I appreciate every review, I really do!

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Over the next several hours they woke Sam up so many times Jack lost count. They encountered Sam from all over her lifetime: there was Captain Carter, Major Carter, Lieutenant Carter, Carter from high school, Colonel Carter from a year ago, and several instances of young/little Carter, but their Carter had yet to appear. Because SG-1 had now practically been awake over a day Jack told them to go back to bed sometime around two in the morning. Dr. Lam checked in many times throughout the night with no good news. Jack continued to wake Sam over and over again, but he was losing hope he would ever see his Carter again.

Sometime around five in the morning Jack fell asleep on the computer. He was out for quite a while before a woman's voice woke him up, "Sir?" it was calling, "Sir? What are you doing here?" At first Jack wasn't sure if the voice was part of his dream because it sounded an awful lot like Carter. Then, with a jerk, he snapped awake and looked up into the curious blue eyes of Samantha Carter staring at him from her bed.

"Carter? You know me?"

"Of course I do, Sir. But why aren't you in Washington?"

"Well, uh, we'll get to that later, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I was on the planet trying to fight off the bugs when they attacked me. I guess we made it back then huh. Are the delegates okay?"

"Yes! I mean yes they're fine." Jack jumped up and ran over to the phone, "Do me a favor Carter stay awake. Whatever you do stay awake." She nodded at him as he dialed the phone and paged Dr. Lam to the room.

About five minutes later Dr. Lam came sprinting into the door, "I'm here," she said slightly out of breath, "what's wrong?"

"She's awake and it's her," Jack said quickly.

"What do you mean it's her?" asked Sam. She was starting to look very tired now.

"Really? That's great! Did you tell her anything?" Asked Dr. Lam, immediately starting to check vitals and examine Sam. Jack shook his head. "Okay, okay so Colonel Carter, I need you to stay awake. It is imperative you remember who you are, can you do that?"

Sam tried to nod her head but her eyelids were getting heavy and she couldn't stay awake. Her eyelids began to droop and before Jack or Dr. Lam could react she was out. "No, no, no, no Carter? Carter! Sam! Can you hear me?" Jack tried but it was too late. "Damn it!"

"I know, Sir. But this is good news. The fact that we saw her at all is really good. I have had no success with the toxin, but I will keep trying. In the meantime, will you keep this up? I know you have been here a lo-"

Jack didn't even let her finish talking before cutting in, "Yeah no problem, whatever helps."

"Very well, carry on then please," said Dr. Lam as she walked out the door.

"Yes, yes very well," Jack grumbled as he walked back over to Sam's bedside and began to shake her shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time, "Wakey wakey Carter. Wakey wakey."

Jack spent about another hour with Sam before Daniel walked in. Jack looked up as he walked in and smiled. Sam had just fallen asleep again and he didn't mind taking a few minutes off to talk to Daniel before he woke her up again. However, Daniel did not return the smile, "Jack," he said in a pained voice, "I have some bad news."

"What?"

"Well, it appears Woolsey wasn't lying about having friends. Apparently some people high up in the IOA like him because a group went and talked to the President last night and got permission to take Sam away. They are here now with a truck to take her to Area 51. There is nothing we can do."

"Are you kidding me! Yeah right there's nothing I can do!" screamed Jack. He hadn't been this angry in a long, long time. Without pause he stormed out the door and down the hall with Daniel in tow.

"Jack trust me we have tried everything!" Daniel called. But Jack wasn't listening.

"Where is that weasel?" he demanded, now taking the stairs up to the control room two at a time.

"Briefing room," came Daniel's reply.

"Thought so," he said walking up the final stairs into the briefing room. As he walked in the room everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him. In total Dr. Lam, General Landry, Mr. Woolsey, Cam, Teal'c, and two other IOA people were now staring back at him. Dr. Lam appeared to have been arguing with Woolsey about something, probably the same thing Jack was here to argue. "What kind of human are you?" he demanded of Woolsey.

"I realize you might take this personally given your relationship with Colonel Carter, but-" Woolsey started but Jack cut him off.

"My relationship! What does that have to do with anything? You are ruining her life! She doesn't even know what year she is in half the time how do you expect her to react to traveling and then suddenly being a lab rat in some strange base? I mean can she even be moved?" he looked over at Dr. Lam as he finished yelling.

"I was just trying to explain that," said Dr. Lam turning to face Woolsey again, "as I was saying, the toxin in her blood was originally making her tired which is why we had to wake her up, but now I believe that that aspect is starting to run out. I believe that soon she will wake up with no memory at all once the toxin has completely overridden her brain. If she wakes up on route or even at Area 51 she will be so confused and scared she won't know what is going on. In order to preserve what is left of her sanity we need her to be in familiar surroundings when she wakes up the next time. Don't you understand how dangerous this is!" she almost screamed.

"Fine, then you can accompany her in the truck and stay at Area 51 as long as you like, but only you, no one else is allowed," Woolsey concluded, glaring at the past and present members of SG-1.

They were all livid. As soon as he stopped talking they all began to protest in their own way: Teal'c was threatening, Cam was yelling, Jack was yelling, and Daniel was attempting to appeal to Woolsey's humanity, but none of those tactics prevailed.

After what seemed like ages of endless arguing and yelling one voice finally cut through all of the noise, "Everybody stop!" shouted General Landry. Everybody fell silent and turned to face Landry. "I know this is a difficult situation, but we have orders from the President to make this happen, so I am sorry Jack, but there is nothing I can do."

Jack finally accepted the truth and nodded. Then, looking at Dr. Lam, he said, "Be there for her will you? She is going to need someone."

Dr. Lam nodded, "Of course I will," then, turning to Woolsey she asked, "how long before we leave?"

"We are going to be leaving within the hour, with or without you," he replied in a smug voice.

"Right, then I have to do some packing and get Colonel Carter ready for her journey, if you'll excuse me," she said as she made her way through the room and out the door.

Jack's heart felt like a ton of bricks had fallen inside of it. He was not going to give up, he just needed a plan. He looked at Daniel, Teal'c, and Cam who appeared to be thinking along the same lines. Daniel motioned for them all to leave the room; he knew there was some serious plotting to be done. When they all followed him out of the room he led them all the way up and out of the mountain to the same spot they had planned their last illegal rescue mission to save the Tollan.

"Alright what can we do?" asked Cam as soon as they were sure they hadn't been followed.

"Nothing right now, not while Woolsey is here, but maybe when she gets to Area 51 we could find a way to get her out," Daniel looked questioningly over to Jack who had remained unusually silent.

"Yes," he said, "once she gets to Area 51 I'll go talk to the President, I'm sure he owes me one." He looked exhausted and slightly defeated. Daniel had never seen him like this and it was starting to worry him. Before Daniel could say anything though Jack turned and walked back into the base to take a nap. The others let him go. Then, they all went to the front of the base to watch as Sam—who was still unconscious—was loaded into the back of a military style truck on a stretcher.

"Woolsey couldn't even be bothered to get a proper medical vehicle?" asked Teal'c.

"No, I suppose that would be too much consideration for him," said Cam while he kicked the ground and walked away in a huff. Daniel and Teal'c went back inside the base when Dr. Lam climbed into the truck behind Sam. There was nothing they could do now.

Dr. Lam was appalled at how they had set Sam in the back of the truck. All they did was lift her in on a stretcher, Woolsey's men couldn't even be bothered to make her even a little comfortable. Carefully, Dr. Lam fixed the situation as best she could and hooked up a portable monitor to keep an eye on Sam's vitals. Sam shouldn't even be moved from room to room in this condition let alone across country in the back of the truck, but that argument was already fought and lost. Now all Dr. Lam could do was make the best out of it. After making Sam secure she settled down herself as two guards climbed in with her and the truck began to move.

Sam's eyes snapped open. Where was she? Who was she? Who were these people with her? Why did she have the sensation of moving? She was extremely confused as the woman who was sitting next to her in what Sam somehow recognized as a truck began speaking to her. Her words didn't register. Sam was too scared and confused to listen. She tried to sit up, but the woman pushed her back down. Sam tried again and this time the man on her right pushed her back down rather forcefully. Something inside Sam snapped and she jumped up and knocked out the man. Then, as the other man tried to restrain her she knocked him down as well. The other woman had her hands outstretched like she was trying to signal that she meant no harm and that she was a friend. She was still talking, but nothing she said made it through, Sam's brain was still spinning a mile a minute trying to figure out what was going on.

The other woman made a move to grab Sam's wrist and out of reflex Sam knocked her out as well. That is when the truck stopped suddenly. Sam stumbled but remained standing. Quickly she moved to the back of the truck and heard footsteps in the dirt coming toward her. She jumped out of the back of the truck and saw two men coming at her. One had a gun and one was wearing a suit and tie. Immediately, Sam didn't like the second man and, as the one with the gun approached her, she lashed out and knocked them both out without thinking.

Then, she looked down to take in her own appearance. Everything hurt and, as she looked at her body, she realized she was covered in bandages. Again without thinking Sam ripped off her bandages only to reveal long and deep gashes and cuts all over her body. She panicked and began to look around for help. Suddenly sounds finally started to really register now instead of the little snippets that were registering before. She could hear the woman in the truck waking up and moving around. Sam didn't know what to do. Glancing around frantically she saw a sort of forest about a hundred yards away. She decided to run for it.

Dr. Lam woke up and saw that both guards were still unconscious. Quickly, she stood up and jumped out of the back of the truck just in time to see Sam run into the trees on the other side of the road. Dr. Lam looked down and saw Woolsey unconscious on the ground and decided to act quickly. She grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the number for the base. They needed to find Sam before it was too late. Who knows what kind of trouble she could get into out there, alone and with no memory, in the real world? As soon as Walter picked up the phone she said, "Get me Generals Landry and O'Neill now!" She had to finish this call before anyone else woke up, before anyone stopped her form getting help.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Okay, sorry for the long wait, but with the start of the week always comes unexpected stress. Anyway, in this chapter a character that most people dislike, some people hate, and others dream of killing will appear for a short while. Personally I was never really a fan of his, but I needed someone she would recognize. So, please relax, take a deep breath and remember that he will only be here for a chapter! I have no intentions of having him reappear after this, so do not panic. Also, as always please read and review. Thanks! Hope you like it!

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Sam had no idea where she was going. All she knew to do was run. Once in the forest she kept running for who knows how long. Eventually, she had to stop before she collapsed from exhaustion. Her wounds were bleeding, which worried Sam because she still couldn't remember anything about how she got them, or her life in general, but she tried not to think about that. All she knew was that she needed to find someone to help her. For some reason her brain was telling her to keep going in the direction she had been, so once Sam had regained her breath she was off again, not in a flat out run like before, but still at a pretty good pace.

After about an hour the trees began to thin. Sam could hear highway noises and people shouting in the distance. After a few more minutes of running Sam found herself at the edge of the forest looking out into a city. She didn't know where she was or how she was able to identify everything she was looking at, but she knew that she needed to find help. She realized, when looking down, that a problem was that she was covered in blood and her clothes were ripped up from the forest. Somehow she knew that if the wrong people saw her like this, bad things might happen. Instead of walking out into the middle of the road and asking for help, which is what she had been considering doing before, Sam decided to stay in the forest and walk around the city until she found a place with no people where she could run from the forest and into an alley or something. Then all she would have to do is find either clothes or someone that will help her.

This plan ended up working out rather well, or at least up until the find clothes and someone to help part. Sam spent another few minutes walking around the edge of the forest until she found an area at the back of a building with an alley just across the street. Sam decided to go for it. But, after running into the alley Sam had no idea what to do next. Crouching down next to a dumpster to stay out of sight, Sam tried to figure out where to start. She had no idea how to get new clothes and no way of knowing who would help her and who would send her back to the men with guns. Sam was so busy trying to hide behind her dumpster and figure out a plan that she didn't notice the police car pulling up at the end of the alley, lights and siren off, in response to a call about a bloody woman running from the forest and into the alley below an apartment building. Sam didn't notice anything until two police men were standing in front of her. One of them asked, "Are you alright? Do you need help? What happened to you?" in a shocked and worried voice.

Sam didn't know what to do. The only thing her mind was saying was run. So she tried, but the officer that hadn't spoken caught her and when she instinctively tried to take a swing at him the other officer grabbed her arms and held them behind her back.

"Easy hun, easy. We just want to help," said the first officer. Then, he turned to his partner, "We should get her back to the station."

"Agreed," said the other man in a much deeper voice. He then began to push Sam, as gently as he could, toward the police car. Sam decided it would be best not to struggle. Somehow she knew that these people were officials meant to help her. She let the men lead her to the car and, just before the first officer opened the back door, she read the wording on the side of the car, "Denver Police Department."

After the officers got Sam into the car it was only a couple minutes drive to the station. The officers kept trying to talk to her, to get her to talk and tell them who she was, but because she didn't know herself she felt it would be easier not to say anything. Upon reaching the station Sam was led out of the car, into the building and then placed in a holding room. The room was a typical police room with a two way mirror on one wall and a barred window on the other. The only other objects in the room were the metal chairs with the matching table. The officers had Sam sit down at one of the chairs and then left.

Immediately, the men went to their supervisor because they had never dealt with a situation quite like this. This unknown woman was so beat up and so damaged, and yet she wouldn't say a word. As soon as the supervisor was informed of the situation he and a doctor went in to talk to the woman. Like the officers said she wouldn't say a word and, despite the fact she was bleeding heavily from several deep wounds across her body, she refused to let the doctor anywhere near her. When the doctor, the supervisor, or even one of the officers tried to approach her, the woman would jump away and try to hide in the corner. The supervisor decided it would be better to let her calm down for a few minutes, maybe take in her surroundings, then maybe she'd be a bit more cooperative, so he ordered the men and the doctor out of the room.

After leaving her alone in the room they all went to the other side of the mirror and watched. After a minute of being alone in the room the woman pulled herself out of the corner and sat back down in the chair. The doctor had just begun to propose that they sedate the woman so that they can at least treat those wounds and see exactly what kind of damage has been done to this woman when Detective Pete Shanahan walked by and overheard the conversation. He stopped and turned to look through the glass saying, "What are you guy's- oohhh my god! Sam!"

The supervisor, officers, and doctor all turned to look at him, "You know this woman?" asked the supervisor eagerly.

"Know her? She was my fiancé." Then, without asking permission or thinking about it, Pete went running into the room. "Sam! What happened? Are you alright?" he asked, trying to approach her.

Sam stood up sharply but did not back away. The name he called her, it sounded familiar, and something about the way he looked, she trusted him, she knew him somehow. Though all of these thoughts were going through Sam's mind, when the man reached out to touch her she backed away quickly, knocking over the chair in the process.

Pete didn't know what to think. Sure they had broken up, but that was a year ago and they were still on good terms, right? "Sam? What's wrong?"

Sam was still backing away, but the tone of familiarity and concern in his voice made her stop and look at him curiously.

"Sam… Sam you know who I am, don't you?" asked Pete after taking another look at the extent of her wounds and remembering what she did for a living. What she did next made the bottom drop out of his heart, she shook her head slightly. "No? No, okay, umm," Pete wasn't sure what to do; he paused and looked toward the two sided mirror. Honestly he was surprised his supervisor had let him stay in here this long. He looked back at Sam who was looking intensely at him, "Okay what do you remember? Anything? Do you know who you are?" Another shake of the head. "Right, okay Sam. My name is Pete, we know each other really well. You can relax you are safe here. Now if you'll give me a few minutes I'm gonna call the base and see if I can't get General O'Neill or Daniel down here to help you alright? Those are your friends, remember?"

All Sam did was shake her head about knowing who those people were, but in actuality something about one of those names had bothered her. While she considered it she righted her chair and sat back down. Then, just as the man named Pete was about to leave the room something sparked as she was considering the name that had bothered her. _General O'Neill? General O'Neill? General Jack O'Neill. _"Jack," Sam blurted out without thinking.

Pete whipped around on the spot at the sound of her hoarse, dry, weak, and cracked voice. She had spoken. She had said his name. She had said _his _name? Of course he had always suspected, but her only remembering _him _confirmed it.

Sam was looking at Pete curiously. The name she had accidently blurted out seemed to mean something to him. He was now staring at her with a mixture of emotion in his eyes. Sam decided that now that she had already spoken a few more words wouldn't hurt, "That is his name?"

Pete was still shocked and bit angry and jealous, but he managed to get out in an even voice, "Yeah, that's the General's first name. Just wait here, I'll see if I can't get him to come get you." With that he left the room. Immediately, his supervisor and the others met him outside the door. Pete kept walking; he had a phone call to make.

The supervisor, falling in step next to him, began speaking, "Who is she?"

Pete decided to keep it short and simple, "Military."

"What does she do?"

"Classified."

"Your ex?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing now?"

"I need to call her boss to come get her. She has some sort of memory loss probably as a result of those injuries."

"How did she get here? And looking like that?"

"I don't know." By now they had reached a phone and Pete was dialing the only number he could think of, at first he was surprised he still had it memorized, but then again he had called the base dozens of times when he was worried about Sam while she was on away missions.

A man's voice answered the phone. "Cheyenne Mountain."

Pete began to talk very quickly because he knew his supervisor was still breathing down his neck, "This is Pete Shanahan and I need to speak to General O'Neill, Dr. Jackson, or Teal'c immediately."

There was a pause on the other end, "I am sorry but-"

Pete didn't let the man finish giving him the runaround, "Just tell them that this is Pete and I found Sam Carter and have her at the Denver Police Station."

The other line was silent for only a second, "Understood."

When Jack received the call about Pete's call he had already been searching the forest with about two hundred other men for several hours. As soon as Dr. Lam's call had come in earlier that day teams of searchers had immediately been dispatched. Walter called with the good news sometime late in the afternoon and Jack told Daniel, Teal'c, Cam, and Dr. Lam and then they all piled in a base car and told the driver to head for Denver. Woolsey tried to pile in with them once he heard what was going on, but Jack threatened to punch him in the face if he tried. Woolsey apparently believed him.

It only took about twenty minutes to reach the highway and then another ten to get to Denver. As they cut through the forest Jack wondered how long it must have taken for Sam to reach Denver the way she must have run headed, she had certainly taken the long way through the forest. After about forty minutes total in the car they pulled up in front of the Denver Police Station and all piled back out again. Though it was a big car it was really not big enough for all of them and Jack was very relieved when he got out and saw that the medical truck, they had brought to the forest in case they had found Sam there, had followed them to the station. As the group began to walk toward the station doors an officer came out to meet them. "General O'Neill?" The man asked.

"That's me," Jack replied, "Where is she?"

The officer led the group into the station where they were met by Pete. "Hey guys," was Pete's greeting.

"Where is she?" Jack repeated.

"In here. She is very badly injured, appears to have memory loss, and won't let anybody near her."

Dr. Lam interjected from the back of the group, "I told them not to move her."

"I know Doc. But do you think the memory loss will be permanent?" asked Jack concernedly.

"I don't know yet, I will have to examine her, but right now I think our main problem is getting her back to the base if she doesn't remember anything and won't let anyone near her."

"I don't think it will be permanent and I don't think you'll have a problem getting her to go with you," said Pete in a slightly defeated voice.

"Why?" was all Jack could think to say.

"When she first saw me there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes and then later, when I said I was going to contact General O'Neill, she remembered your first name. I think she will recognize you. You should know why."

"That is good news. Very promising," said Dr. Lam, not noticing the extreme tension and discomfort that had suddenly formed between Jack and Pete.

Pete was still staring at Jack and Jack knew he was waiting for a response so he looked him directly in the eye and said, "Good. We have been through a lot together, now where is she?"

Pete just nodded before leading them all to the room where Sam was being held. Jack walked in immediately and the others went to watch from the other side of the mirror. As soon as he walked through the door his heart broke. Sam was covered in blood, she had apparently taken off her bandages and all of her running and fighting earlier had opened up all of her wounds, her clothes were ripped up and she looked more tired and scared than Jack had ever seen her before, and that is saying something. Carefully he stopped a few feet away from her because she was now looking at him intensely he asked in a gentle voice, "Carter? You alright? Do you know who I am?"

From the moment this man walked into the room Sam trusted him. She knew she knew him from somewhere. That is why she didn't stand up or back away as he slowly approached her. But, when he spoke she wasn't sure if she should respond. After several seconds of staring into his brown, concern-filled eyes she decided to trust him completely because as she looked into those eyes one word came to mind, _Jack. _"I don't- I'm not- Who are you?"

"Okay Carter, my name is Jack O'Neill, we are friends. Your name is Samantha Carter. We need to go, we need to go get you fixed up," as he stopped talking he motioned toward Sam's blood soaked clothes.

Sam followed his gaze for a second before locking her sight on his face. She saw no deception and for some reason she still trusted him for no apparent reason. Finally, all she did was nod.

As soon as she nodded her consent Jack crossed the last few feet between them as quickly and yet non threateningly as he could. She stood up to let him lead her out of the room. Once in the hallway they were joined by Daniel, Cam, Teal'c, and the Dr. Lam. Quietly, Teal'c told Jack that Pete had gone back to his office. Jack understood how Pete felt, after all that is how Jack had felt when Sam was about to marry Pete.

After the group exited the station they proceeded to the medical truck. Carefully, Jack helped load Sam into the back with Dr. Lam. He had intended to ride back to the base in the other car, but when he went to leave Sam shot out her hand to stop him. No words were exchanged between them because none were needed; Jack simply nodded at her before looking at the others. "You guys head back in the other car, I'm going to stay here."

They all nodded and Cam and Teal'c left, but Daniel stayed behind. "Jack," he said quietly, with a tone of warning in his voice, "I know it is great that we found her, but don't get too excited. We still have to deal with that toxin and Woolsey."

"I know Daniel." The thought had crossed Jack's mind. He still had no idea what he was going to do about any of it. Daniel left and Jack watched as the back doors of the truck were closed and then he heard the door to the car slam as Daniel got inside. A few seconds later the truck engine roared to life. The truck started moving and all Jack could think about was how on earth he was going to keep Sam safe once they got back to the SGC and encountered the wrath of Woolsey.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Hey guys, sorry for the long wait it has been a complicated week. I'll try and post some more this weekend, but after that I probably won't be able to post until next weekend. I know, I know, sorry, but apparently my life doesn't understand my love of fiction. Anyway, this is a slower chapter, but it begins to build up the story so stay tuned. Oh, and sorry for the ending, I couldn't resist. As always please read and review, I hope you like it!

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It was a long drive back to the base. Dr. Lam kept fussing about Sam's wounds as she attempted to assess the damage Sam's little trip had caused, but Sam wasn't paying much attention to her. All she could focus on was the man named Jack sitting next to her. She knew him. She knew him but she couldn't remember him. Yet somehow she looked at his face and trusted him completely. The entire ride back to the base was spent in silence between her and Jack as they held hands and stared at each other, him out of concern and her out of curiosity. Neither of them even registered that they were holding hands.

By the time they reached the base Jack had formed a plan that he realized would probably change his life. As he watched Sam get wheeled out of the truck and into the base on a stretcher he also decided that his plan would have to be kept to himself. Not even Daniel could know what he was going to do. Slowly, he followed Sam on her stretcher, Dr. Lam, and SG-1 down the hallway and into the infirmary. The entire time Daniel was talking about something but Jack wasn't really listening. Nothing new there.

Jack was practically in his own mental world as he watched the doctors begin to treat Sam. She kept looking over at him, as if to make sure he was still there, and this both troubled him and gave him hope. The whole idea his plan was riding on was that Sam had no permanent side effects from the venom in her blood. He was relying on either Sam's body to break it down on its own or for Dr. Lam to find a cure before Woolsey could do anything else. But if this didn't happen then everything would fall apart. There was also the issue of what sort of state Sam would be in if she were to recover. There could be permanent brain damage or memory loss, would the Sam he knew ever fully return to him? Jack had been staring into Sam's eyes the entire car ride and now he was staring into them again. Those blue, scared eyes. Those eyes that used to be so bright with knowledge and love were now so clouded with fear that Jack worried she would be gone forever. For the briefest of seconds Jack wondered if his plan would even be worth it if his Sam never returned to him. Then he mentally slapped himself. Of course it would be worth it. Even if she never remembered what they once were to each other, even if the relationship never progresses, Jack would help her. He would do anything and everything he could to save her, after all, (and this is not something he would normally admit, even to himself) he loved her.

Daniel had noticed that Jack was planning something. If you hang around Jack long enough you pick up on it when Jack stops attempting to make a joke every five minutes, and Jack had been practically silent the entire time they had been back at the base. However, Daniel knew that if he pushed Jack to tell him what was going on it might anger him and prevent Daniel from getting answer. While watching Dr. Lam draw more blood from Sam and planning his first steps carefully he began, "Jack?"

"Yes, Daniel."

This was good, Jack's voice sounded normal. Daniel continued,"I'm sure Sam will be alright."

"Yeah, Carter's a fighter."

Jack sounded sad, but not particularly angry so Daniel decided to push harder, "Have you decided what to do about Woolsey?"

"Daniel?"

Daniel was suddenly worried he had gone too far, "Yes?"

"When you lost your memory after being ascended, what was it like while you were getting it back?"

Daniel wasn't sure how to begin, "Well… it was like watching a montage, only out of order. I saw faces, events, places that I recognized, but were confusing and didn't make any sense. Slowly, things began to sort themselves out in my head, but it was a confusing process that's for sure."

"And do you remember everything now? Even the emotions you felt before you died?"

"I think so; it's hard to tell sometimes. Though I did find that things seemed disconnected, they still do sometimes, I always assumed that was a part of having been ascended. I doubt Sam will feel the same way."

Jack didn't respond immediately. When he finally did it was in a tone of voice Daniel had only heard him use once, a long time ago. "I waited too long, Daniel." Before Daniel could even think about what Jack meant, Jack turned and walked out of the room. Daniel considered following, but after thinking about Jack's last statement he realized what Jack had really been saying and he decided Jack either needed to be alone right now, or he needed to do something by himself. Either way Daniel somehow knew that Jack would be angry if he followed, so Daniel let him go.

Sam watched him go as well and began to fear that he would never come back.

Jack wandered the hallway for a long time. It could have been days for all he knew. Eventually, he found himself in Sam's lab, though he wasn't sure quite how he had gotten there because he had never consciously decided to go there. He was suddenly reminded of the last time he had the Ancient's repository in his head and Sam had visited him at home. She had given a really lame excuse as to why she was there and, if Jack remembered right, she had claimed the same thing had happened to her while she was driving. Jack sat down at Sam's desk. It was clean and organized, "Leave it to Carter," he mumbled to himself. On the desk was a picture of her brother and his family. A picture of her mother and father sat next to her brother's picture, it was an old picture, taken before Sam's mother had died and Jacob had not yet grown grey hair.

Jack still had no idea why he was there, but for some reason he knew he was looking for something. Sam's computer sat on her desk and Jack turned it on. There was no password needed to simply open up the main screen and so Jack began to look at the file names on her desktop. All of the expected and confusing files were there. The ones titled things like, "Naquada bomb," and, "Wormhole theory," but one file did catch Jack's eye. It was in the top right corner of the screen and was titled, "Emergency." Jack attempted to open it, but this file was password protected. He tried a few things, but nothing went through, "It's probably something technical," he said out loud in frustration, thinking he was alone in the room.

A voice he recognized as Teal'c's came from the doorway behind him to inform him that he was not in fact alone, "The password is fishing, O'Neill." Teal'c walked into the room and stood next to Jack at the computer.

"How long have you been there? And how would you know?" Jack was beginning to feel embarrassed. He, after all, did understand the deeper meaning to the password.

"Long enough, O'Neill. I know because Colonel Carter informed me in case of her death, disappearance, or loss of self. The file contains letters to loved ones."

"I see." Jack eyed the file with curiosity. Would there be a letter to him in there?

"I do not think we should open it," said Teal'c. It was almost as if he had read Jack's mind.

"You're probably right," sighed Jack closing out of the file and standing up.

"What shall we do, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as Jack began to move toward the door.

"Well…" Jack trailed off. He knew what he needed to do. He was just hesitant to take that first step on a path he could never come back from. "Is Woolsey back yet?"

"Indeed."

"Is he making a fuss and trying to take Carter away again?"

"Indeed."

Jack made up his mind in a flash. "In that case, I have a few calls to make." Jack strolled out of the door. He was almost confident what he had in mind was going to work. Almost but not quite.

"I understand," said Teal'c following him out the door, "there is just one thing you should do first."

"What would that be?" asked Jack, confused.

"Colonel Carter has been asking for you rather incessantly."

"I understand, I'll go visit her." Jack wasn't sure why, but the way Teal'c had spoken gave Jack the chills. There was something Teal'c wasn't saying and that was usually a bad sign. Quickly, Jack turned the corner into the hallway that connects to the infirmary and, as what he began to hear in the distance registered, it felt like he had been punched in the stomach.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Hello anybody still reading this. Sorry for the wait! My life has settled down a bit now, at least for a while, so I should be able to post more regularly. I hope I still have a few people out there reading but if not I understand. If you are reading I hope you like it and please, as always, read and review.

After she watched the man named Jack walk out of the infirmary Sam had a funny feeling that he wasn't going to come back. She knew this man somehow and for some reason the way he had been looking at her just before he left made her feel worried. The doctors and nurses kept working all around her, but Sam couldn't take her eyes off of the door Jack had left through. The other man, Daniel she heard him called, was still standing there watching. Sam had a feeling she knew and trusted him as well. Maybe he was another friend of hers. He had been talking to Jack. But Sam wasn't all that concerned about Daniel. She just wanted the one person she truly seemed to trust to come back before something happened to her. For some reason she just knew that she was in danger and that someone wanted to hurt her. She didn't know who or why, but she did know that Jack would help her. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she did and she wanted him back.

Several hours passed as the doctors worked, Daniel watched, and Sam kept her eyes trained on the door. Every passing second made her believe more and more that Jack was never coming back. When the doctors and nurses were finally done stitching her up and doing whatever else it was that they were doing (Sam wasn't paying that much attention) they tried to get Sam to move. The one doctor lady that had been in the truck with her both times tried to explain to Sam that it was a simple move, just down the hall to another room, but Sam was too terrified to really listen. She kept watching the door, willing it to open, willing Jack to walk in and save her. After all, if she moved to another room how would he find her? Sam began to panic and scream and fight. The doctors and nurses tried to calm her down, even sedate her, but it was no use. Sam went wild and fought all of them off; after all they didn't want to fight back too hard because they were afraid they might hurt her. Sam ended up hiding in a corner of the infirmary screaming while everyone was surrounding her about twenty feet away. She was so scared she didn't know what to do. She kept screaming and calling out to him, maybe if she yelled loud enough he would come, Jack would find her.

And he did.

After he heard her screams coming from down the hall he realized why Teal'c had come to find him and, for a brief second, he wondered why he had been so calm considering the terrified, pleading screams coming from the infirmary, but as he got closer to the door and the screams got louder any thought was pushed from his mind. He began to run. He pushed open the door to a sight he would have rather not seen. A surprisingly cleaned up but terrified and sobbing Sam was crouched in a defensive position in a corner and the doctors, nurses, and guards meant to help her were surrounding her and cornering her like an animal. He pushed through the crowd as fast as he could and ordered everyone out of the room. Daniel and Teal'c helped clear the protesting people out of the room; they knew Jack was the only person that could calm her down. When Dr. Lam, the last person in the room despite Sam and Jack, had finally exited and the door had been closed by Teal'c from the outside Jack turned his full attention to Sam—who was looking at him like she couldn't believe her eyes.

Tentatively, Jack squatted down to be at eye level with her. He stayed about ten feet away from her because he wasn't sure how she was going to react to him. He began to speak in a soft, comforting voice, "Hey, Carter. You alright? Remember me?"

Sam was still watching him as if she was afraid he would disappear if she blinked. She was happy to see him but angry and scared that he left her. Maybe she didn't really have a good reason to trust this man. But the sound of his voice began to calm her down again. Eventually she nodded her head slowly, "I remember you."

Jack let out a deep breath and moved a bit closer, "Good, good. So how are you feeling?"

Sam was beginning to trust him completely again. Any doubts she had had about him were slowly slipping away. It was strange the effect he had on her. She felt the need to be honest with him, "I'm scared Jack. I-I don't know who I am. I don't know who you are. I'm so scared." Tears began to roll silently down her cheeks again.

Jack moved a little closer. It was still strange for him to hear her calling him Jack, but her moved past that. Seeing her like this was breaking his heart. "I know Carter, I know. It'll be alright. I'm here. I just need you to trust me. Can you trust me?" Jack was now only a few feet away from her and he stretched out his arms as if to hold her.

Sam was still so scared, but by now any doubt she had about Jack was completely gone. He was the only person she knew, for some reason she would really like to remember sometime soon, she could trust completely. Haltingly at first, she relaxed out of her defensive position in the corner and moved toward him. Then, as if acting before she could change her mind, she launched herself the rest of the way and landed, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably, in Jack's arms.

Jack didn't know what to do. He was just so happy to have her back and safe. It had been so long since he had seen her before this horrible mission and he missed her so much. He decided that all she needed from him at the moment was for him to be there for her. So he just sat there on the floor of the infirmary, holding her in his arms and patting her on the back. It did, however, bother him that she was reacting like this. Maybe it was a side effect of the bug toxin in her brain, but the Sam he knew would never act like this. Or at least e didn't think she would. He managed to convince himself for the time being that it was just a side effect and he put it out of his mind.

Sam lost track of time and eventually fell asleep. When she woke up the first thing she noticed was that she was laying down in a bed. The second thing she noticed, before she had time to panic, was that Jack was sitting in a chair next to her holding her hand. He looked relieved to see her eyes open.

"Hey, take it easy we just needed to get you somewhere you could rest while the doctors keep an eye on you," Jack said while gesturing to the mass of monitors and wires next to Sam.

Sam nodded. She didn't really know what to say so she just stared at Jack.

Jack stared back for a long time.

Then the door opened and Daniel poked his head in, "I hate to bother you, but it's time. They are here."

Jack tore his gaze from Sam and looked up to nod at Daniel. Daniel gave him a grave smile back and closed the door. Jack looked back down at Sam and squeezed her hand slightly, "I'm gonna have to go take care of a few things, Carter. I need you to relax. I promise I will be back. I promise."

Sam looked deep into his eyes as he spoke. She knew he would do whatever it took to keep his promise to her. But she was still afraid to be left alone. When the door opened again it gave he a little more time to think before she could respond. She looked up as another man she had seen several times talking with and helping Jack. She knew him too. Trusted him too. This unexplained feeling was really beginning to get on Sam's nerves. However, she did not know this man's name. She looked back to Jack.

He had been watching Teal'c walk into the room as well and he was already talking when he looked back down at Sam, "This is our friend Teal'c. He is going to keep you safe and happy while I'm gone. You know him. We have been through a lot together. You can trust him. I promise."

Sam knew she could take him at his word so she nodded and looked back at the man named Teal'c and smiled slightly.

Teal'c smiled back. He could see faint recognition in her eyes and that was all he needed. "Hello Samantha Carter. It is good to see you feeling better."

Sam smiled a little bigger. There was definitely something familiar and trustworthy about his voice, "Hello Teal'c."

"Well then," said Jack clearly relieved Sam had accepted Teal'c as his replacement, "I best be going. Don't want to keep the others waiting now do I."

"Indeed, O'Neill." Was all Teal'c could think to say as he sat down in Jack chair as soon as Jack vacated it.

Jack smiled again, winked at Sam, and nodded at Teal'c before walking out the door. Daniel was waiting for him in the hallway.

"We'd better hurry. You still have to get dressed and his chopper landed ten minutes ago," said Daniel as he hurried to match Jack's pace down the hall.

"Yes, Daniel," Jack said trying to sound as annoyed as possible, "I realize he isn't exactly the person you want to keep waiting… especially when you think about why I asked him here."

By now they were at Jack's courters on base and Daniel stopped outside the door as Jack walked in, "Right, Jack. Just hurry up."

As soon as he entered the room Jack spotted his full General's uniform laid out on his bed, probably courtesy of Daniel, and began to get dressed. After looking in the mirror to make sure his buttons, pins, and medals were in the right spot and his hair was combed and presentable, he checked his watch, straightened his coat, and opened the door. Daniel was tapping his toe outside. "Alright. I'm ready for this," Jack said, staring out into the distance. In actuality he wasn't sure what to expect. He knew what he was going to try to do, and what he hoped to accomplish, but it could go either way at this point.

Daniel watched him closely. Jack still hadn't told him the plan. And that worried him. That worried him a lot because the look Jack had on his face at that moment was the same look he had seen only once before. And that was way back on their first ever mission together, while they were standing next to a bomb.


End file.
